Sunshine State

USA 2002, 135 minutes
Dir. John Sayles
Rating: [M]
Genres: Drama / Independent

Feat. Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander, Edie Falco, Miguel Ferrer, Timothy Hutton, Mary Steenburgen

Aroview: Thoughtful, tightly woven ensemble drama from renowned indie filmmaker Sayles, surveys the native populous of a small Florida island community as they prepare for a invasion of real estate developers.

As always, the dir. builds a medley of sympathetically flawed and funny characters – property owners, a former ‘mermaid’, a landscape architect, golfers, a teenage firebug, a gambling addict – whose lives we share over the course of a week. Themes of security, community values, corporatism and social Darwinism are explored under subtropical skies with Sayle’s eye for striking metaphors supporting his usual sharp dialogue and true-to-life plot twists. Those with an appreciation for skilful adult drama will find plenty to savour in this downbeat cocktail.

NZ International Film Festival 2002

Member Reviews

Average rating (Very Good). Showing 1-2 of 2 member reviews.

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3 stars (Good Enough) Well written - the two hour plus running time doesn't drag at any stage. The characters are believable with Edie Falco taking the performance honours. ~Tubbs
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4 stars (Very Good) Great characters & great lines! "Comedy" with an edge, American-style. Kinda real. Maybe just too many characters with complex individual stories - but this is Sayles in his element! I liked the alligator... ~Anon